On the Anderson localization and “universal degradation” of the critical temperature in superconductors

We give an analytical formula for the critical temperature of a superconductor taking into account the enhanced Coulomb repulsion which will be considered as frequency dependent.     

Theoretical investigation of electronic,magnetic, transport and optical properties of the pure and doped cuprate superconductor HgBa2CuO4+δ

We report detailed DFT calculations and Monte Carlo simulations on the pure and doped cuprate superconductor HgBa₂CuO_4+δ. For the pure compound (δ = 0), we have obtained an insulating behavior with strong antiferromagnetic copper spin correlations in the CuO₂ plane. The high value of the calculated Néel temperature T_N = 333 K reflects the large in-plane exchange interaction J = -145 meV. The obtained optical properties and critical exponents demonstrate the anisotropic quasi-2D character of this type of materials. As for the doped compound the electronic structure and the transport properties have been investigated for various values of doping. Based on these data, we suggest a prediction of the value of optimum doping for HgBa₂CuO_4+δ(δ_optimal = 0.125).     

Influence of electric field,hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the electronic states in a Pöschl-Teller quantum well

Influence of the electric field and hydrostatic pressure on the electronic states in a Pöschl-Teller quantum well is studied. In the framework of variational method the dependences of the ground state energy on the electric field and hydrostatic pressure are calculated for different values of the potential parameters and the temperature. It is shown that the increase in the electric field leads to the increase in the ground state energy, while the increase in the well width leads to the strengthening of the electric field effect. The ground state energy decreases with increasing pressure and increases with increasing temperature.     

Insensitivity of the superconducting gap to variations in the critical temperature of Zn-substituted Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+δ) superconductors

The phase diagram of the superconducting high-T(c) cuprates is governed by two energy scales: T*, the temperature below which a gap is opened in the excitation spectrum, and T(c), the superconducting transition temperature. The way these two energy scales are reflected in the low-temperature energy gap is being intensively debated. Using Zn substitution and carefully controlled annealing we prepared a set of samples having the same T* but different T(c)'s, and measured their gap using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). We show that T(c) is not related to the gap shape or size, but it controls the size of the coherence peak at the gap edge.     

Effect of hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the EPR spectrum of the Mn2+ ion in Zn(BF4)2 · 6H2O

A study of the effect of hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the EPR spectrum of the Mn²⁺ ion in Zn(BF₄)₂ · 6H₂O is reported. The break in the temperature dependence of the b ₂ ⁰ parameter at 196 K is evidence of the existence of a phase transition accompanied by a change in the thermal expansion coefficient. It is shown that pressure considerably affects the spectral parameters by reducing the axial parameter b ₂ ⁰ and increasing the cubic one, b ₄ ⁰ . At 9 kbar, the b ₂ ⁰ parameter is temperature independent. A comparison of the pressure dependences of the spectra of Zn(BF₄)₂ · 6H₂O, ZnSiF₆ · 6H₂O, ZnTiF₆ · 6H₂O, and MgSiF₂ · 6H₂O crystals suggests equal hydrogen-bond lengths in these compounds. A ligand hyperfine structure has been detected, which originates from the Zeeman interaction with the proton nuclei surrounding Mn²⁺ and manifests itself in the formation of satellites at each EPR line, their separation being proportional to the magnetic field. The nonlinear pressure dependence of the linewidth is related to the structural features of the crystal under study.     

Two-Fermi-surface superconducting state and a nodal d-wave energy gap of the electron-doped Sm1.85Ce0.15CuO(4-δ) cuprate superconductor

We report on laser-excited angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in the electron-doped cuprate Sm1.85Ce0.15CuO(4-δ). The data show the existence of a nodal hole-pocket Fermi surface both in the normal and superconducting states. We prove that its origin is long-range antiferromagnetism by an analysis of the coherence factors in the main and folded bands. This coexistence of long-range antiferrmagnetism and superconductivity implies that electron-doped cuprates are two-Fermi-surface superconductors. The measured superconducting gap in the nodal hole pocket is compatible with a d-wave symmetry.     

Effect of the nonstoichiometric disorder on the temperature dependence of the upper critical field in Nd2? x Ce x CuO4+δ electron superconductors

The temperature dependences of the resistance of the Nd_2−x Ce _x CuO_4+δ single crystal with x = 0.15 and various disorder parameters δ have been investigated in various magnetic fields (B ‖ c, J ‖ ab) in the temperature range T = 1.8–40 K. It has been shown that the slope of the upper critical field, (dB _c2/dT)|T _c, in the electron superconductor decreases with an increase in the disorder parameter. This dependence makes it possible to experimentally distinguish between d-pairing superconductors and s-pairing superconductors. The dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the disorder parameter in the system is investigated in the model of the superconductors with anisotropic impurity scattering. Original Russian Text ? T.B. Charikova, N.G. Shelushinina, G.I. Kharus, A.A. Ivanov, 2008, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2008, Vol. 88, No. 2, pp. 132–136.     

The urea combustion method in the preparation of precursors for high-TC single phase HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ superconductors

An alternative sol–gel route for synthesizing precursors of mercury based superconductors is presented. This route is based on urea as a combustion agent and has been applied in the synthesis of HgBa₂Ca₂Cu₃O_8+δ (Hg-1223). Moreover, the effects of the precursor preparation on the synthesis of Hg-1223 were studied. This method is further compared with other sol–gel routes used in the synthesis of this family of compounds.     

Formation and properties of rocksalt-type AlN and implications for high pressure phase relations in the system Si–Al–O–N

Pressure-dependent thermodynamic properties of the ambient and high pressure phases of aluminum nitride (w-AlN and rs-AlN) were calculated from first principles in order to determine their phase boundary in the p? T phase diagram. These predictions were checked by static HP/HT experiments, using a multianvil press and an Al/N/H precursor with low decomposition temperature as educt. The experimental data show that at temperatures between 1000 and 2000 K, the boundary line between the two phases is situated between 11 and 12 GPa, which is ～1.3 GPa lower than the theoretical result and generally lower than previously assumed. The hardness of rs-AlN – measured for the first time – is ～30 GPa (Knoop indenter at loads of 25–50 g), twice as hard as w-AlN. Shock wave recovery experiments on nano w-AlN allowed testing of the chemical and thermal stability of rs-AlN, and determination of its infrared absorption and ²⁷Al NMR data. The shock wave technique will eventually enable the synthesis of larger amounts of rs-AlN, making it available for technological use. Finally, implications on the high pressure stability of phases in the Si–Al–O–N system are discussed in the light of thermoelastic properties of AlN.     

Approximation of the hydrostatic Navier–Stokes system for density stratified flows by a multilayer model: Kinetic interpretation and numerical solution

We present a multilayer Saint-Venant system for the numerical simulation of free surface density-stratified flows over variable topography. The proposed model formally approximates the hydrostatic Navier–Stokes equations with a density that varies depending on the spatial and temporal distribution of a transported quantity such as temperature or salinity. The derivation of the multilayer model is obtained by a Galerkin-type vertical discretization of the Navier–Stokes system with piecewise constant basis functions. In contrast with classical multilayer models in the literature that assume immiscible fluids, we allow here for mass exchange between layers. We show that the multilayer system admits a kinetic interpretation, and we use this result to formulate a robust finite volume scheme for its numerical approximation. Several numerical experiments are presented, including simulations of wind-driven stratified flows.     

Study of the electric field and wall voltage in a high pressure ac-PDP cell by laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy

The electric field in a surface discharge type ac-PDP cell with He or He/Xe(0.1%) mixture has been measured over a wide range of pressure (5－50 kPa) using laser induced fluorescence detection. The wall voltage was estimated from the measured electric field. The Stark manifolds of triplet atomic helium Rydberg state (2s^3S) with principal quantum numbers (n=8 and 9) have been used to measure the electric field, as the lifetime of 2s^3S is longer than the single atomic helium Rydberg state (2s^1S) in high pressure discharge. Comparison of the Stark manifolds between the n=9 and n=8 shows that the measurement accuracy of electric field can be increased by 10%. The maximum electric field strength during discharge and the wall voltage at the end of pulse decreases with the increase of pressure. The comparison of He and He/Xe(0.1%) discharge at 13 kPa showed that He/Xe gas mixture discharge can accumulate more wall charge on MgO surface and the electric field was somewhat higher than those of pure helium discharge during pulse off period under the same discharge conditions.     

Mechanisms of the pancake vortex and vortex line movement in the high T_c superconductors Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8+δ and La_(1.93)Sr0.0_7CuO_4+δ

In the strict sense, it is not very clear why with magnetic field increasing, the normal-superconductive (NS) transition becomes broad for Bi2Sr2CaCu208+δ(Bi2212) while the NS transitions are almost parallel for La193Sroo7Cu04+δ(La214). In this paper, R-T relations are measured by the six-probe method. We propose a moving mechanism of the pancake vortex and vortex line for Bi2212. The theoretical curves fit the experiment data well.     

Observation of magnetic order of Cu-moment aroundx=0.12 in La2−x Ba x CuO4 and La2−x sr x CuO4 by μ+SR

Zero field positive muon spin rotation method ( ⁺SR) is applied on La_2–x Sr _x CuO₄ around forx=0.12 at which the high-T _c superconductivity (SC) is suppressed. The magnetically ordered state of Cu-moments, which is not a spin glass state but an antiferromagnetic like state, appears below 15 K for 0.105x0.120. The magnetic phase boundary is very similar to the one of the La_2–x Ba _x CuO₄ in which the structural transition from the low temperature orthorhombic (LTO) phase to the low temperature tetragonal (LTT) phase is observed aroundx=0.12. The present study suggests that there is no big difference of the electronic state of the CuO₂ plane between the La-Ba system and the La-Sr system and that the magnetic ordering of Cu-moments plays an important role for the suppression of the high-T _c SC aroundx=0.12 in both of the systems, although the LTO-LTT structural transition has not been observed yet in the La-Sr system.     

Electronic states near fermi level in superconductors La2 − x Sr x CuO4 by means of x-ray absorption spectra near Cu-K and La-L edges

The electronic states of La_{2? x} Sr _x CuO₄ with 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20 are studied by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES, EXAFS) near the K-edge of Cu²⁺ ion and the L-edges of La³⁺ ion. It is found that characteristic white lines occurring near L _II and L _III edges of La³⁺ ion show a slight energy shift depending on substituted Sr²⁺ ions, x and temperature. The white lines suggest that unoccupied high-density 5dπ and 5dδ bands of La³⁺ ion just above a Fermi level transform to a hybridized single band of 5dπδ at 78?K in the superconductors with x = 0.10, 0.16 and 0.20. On the other hand, the XANES spectra near the Cu-K edge including a pre-edge region do not depend on x and temperature in the region of 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20. It is considered that there is no reconstruction of electronic states at the Fermi level in a Mott–Hubbard band gap between an O 2p valence band and a Cu 3d conduction band. The electronic states at the Fermi level are probably consisted of the unoccupied 5dπδ band and an empty charge-transfer 3d?⁹ L band at low temperature, bands of which occur in a band gap between a filled O 2p valence band and an unoccupied O 2p conduction band. The insulator–superconductor–metal transitions in La_{2? x} Sr _x CuO₄ are related to the 5dπδ and 3d?⁹ L bands and holes, which site at a top region of the O 2p valence band near the Fermi level produced by a substitution of La³⁺ with Sr²⁺ ions.     

Results from the irradiation of stainless steel and copper by 23 MeV γ-quanta in the atmosphere of molecular deuterium at a pressure of 2 kbar

Metal samples were arranged inside a “finger-type” high-pressure chamber (DHPC-FT) filled by deuterium. They were two aluminum rods, a copper rod, two specimens of homogeneous YMn₂ alloy, and a stainless steel wire. The pressure of molecular deuterium in DHPC-FT was about 2 kbar. The samples were irradiated by braking γ-quanta at a threshold energy of 23 MeV. All the samples were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray (roentgen) microelement probe analysis (RMPA). Considerable changes in the surface structure and elemental composition were found for the samples of copper, aluminum, YMn₂ alloy, and stainless steel. Unusual results were analyzed in detail and compared with the earlier data.     

Mechanisms of the pancake vortex and vortex line movement in the high Tc superconductors Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 δand La1.93Sr0.07CuO4 δ

In the strict sense, it is not very clear why with magnetic field increasing, the normal-superconductive (NS) transition becomes broad for Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 δ(Bi2212) while the NS transitions are almost parallel for La1.93Sr0.07CuO4 δ(La214). In this paper, R-T relations are measured by the six-probe method. We propose a moving mechanism of the pancake vortex and vortex line for Bi2212. The theoretical curves fit the experiment data well.     

Determination of Ofloxacin using a Highly Selective Photo Probe Based on the Enhancement of the Luminescence Intensity of Eu3+—Ofloxacin Complex in Pharmaceutical and Serum Samples

A rapid, simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method for determination of trace amount of ofloxacin was developed. At pH 5.1 the ofloxacin enhances the luminescence intensity of the Eu³⁺ ion in Eu³⁺- ofloxacin complex at λ_ex = 365 nm. The produced luminescence intensity of Eu³⁺-ofloxacin complex was in proportional to the concentration of ofloxacin. The working range for the determination of ofloxacin was 5.0 × 10^-9–5.0 × 10^-6 mol L^-1 with lower detection limit (LOD) and quantitative detection limit (QDL) of 3 × 10^-9 and 9 × 10^-9 mol L^-1, respectively. The enhancement mechanism of the luminescence intensity in the Eu³⁺-ofloxacin system has been also explained. The method revealed good selectivity for ofloxacin in the presence of coexisting substances and used successfully for the assay of ofloxacin in pharmaceutical preparations and serum. A comparison with other standard methods was also discussed.     

Electromagnetic Form Factors of Λ Hyperon in the Vector Meson Dominance Model and a Possible Explanation of the Near-Threshold Enhancement of the e+e-→ Λ(Λ) Reaction

The near-threshold e+e-→ Λ(Λ) reaction is studied with the assumption that the production mechanism is due to a near-Λ(Λ)-threshold bound state.The cross sectio...